Changes you've made during these tight financial times

jaylou

Gold Member
The price of everything is going up, fuel, gas, electricity, food, clothing - everything! So I thought we could share any changes we've made, no matter how small, to try and help our purses.

Here are my changes over the last 6 months or so:

I only use the tumble dryer if it's absolutely necessary eg daughter needs her PE kit and I've forgotten to wash it!

The heating has been turned down to 21 degrees (not 24 which is where it was) and only when we have jumpers on too. It's not on now, it's been off for a few months but I feel it will need to go on later as it is quite cold!

I have cut down on my much loved Starbucks and Costa

We don't have as much meat as we used to and I try not to pop to the shops for one or two bits - we go without. I won't starve if I don't have bananas for a few day.

We don't go out for dinner like we used to, it's now for special occasions. This is a BIG change for us :eek:

I also don't throw any food away. If the veg is looking a bit manky I'll throw it in with some tinned tomatoes and blend it to make a soup.
 
Weather permitting I cycle to work, however, I'm now more strict with myself if it's not raining I cycle, even if I can't be bothered. It costs me £50 to fill up my little polo, far too much IMO.

I've more of an effort to look for savings when shopping, eg frozen fruit at Aldi £1.29 & at Sainsburys across the road £1.00 I used to think, oh well I can't be bothered going to Sainsbury's I'll buy it here, but now I don't think & just walk across the road.

I mixed the cats food she now has Go Cat mixed half/half with shops own.
 
I have just gone two years with having no car,so Mr could use it for work, it got very very lonely. I have it back now as we saved for another.
We rarely go out to eat and if we do for a birthday it's Brewers Fayre two for £10.
Ive always scrimped anyway.
I have the wiifit so don't need gyms. We go looking for wood for our wood stove.
We have only just got central heating last winter, and had it on one in the evenings only.
I'm diabetic so saves lots not buying choc or sweets.

It's all tough these days x
 
I've been saving for so long now my money saving tips are part of me. As a 32 year old unmarried woman (I hate saying woman as I still feel like a girl!), I still live at home with my parents and my younger brother. I've saved for EVER for my deposit and then the market/interest rates/job goes belly up and I'm no further forward. Save £10k, banks want £20k. Save £20k, banks want £30k etc. Good job we're a happy family still!

Anyway, here are my money saving tips.

WALK! Even if it's raining. You'll dry.

Buy gifts in January sales. I do this every year. Debenhams and Boots are ideal. Everything half price or more and ideal when you've got an emergency birthday or something just comes up. Is also very good for buying wrapping papers and cards for the next year.

Charity shops - Ok, so some people can be quite snobby about it sometimes but for books, dvds, cds etc they're perfect. Buy a dvd for less than rental, watch it and donate it back or keep it.
I'll think of more but my post is massive already!!
 
I love charity shops! Get most of my work clothes from them, as well as some other bits and pieces too.

Great tips all, let's keep em coming!
 
Good thread Jay !!

I buy all my clothes in charity shops or second hand. No false pride here.

Fresh meat is bought from the butchers counter in Iceland when it is on it's sell by date and is two for the price of one and then frozen as soon as I get home. I get things like 2 rib eye steaks for 2.50€. The steaks are big enough to cut in half so one does two of us and works out at 50 cents each.

I only buy national fruit and veg in season and when things like tomatoes are very cheap I make pasta sauces and freeze them.

Another area we cut down is petrol and combine as many things in one journey as possible.

We have only run one car for over a yearnow and as inconvenient as it is sometimes we could not condone 2 lots of insurance etc.

We have not had a holiday for years........totally out of the question, but we are fortunate that we love where we live. We used to have at least 2 weekends a month away.


My sister prints money off coupons and is so clever she can do a weeks shopping for a tenner. She uses the money saving expert website and is amazingly clever at finding the best deals for everything. If I lived in the u.k. I would follow her lead like a sheep.
 
great thread jaylou!!

i buy as much of my clothes as possible from charity shops,although i find i can get less at this size(8-10) than i could when i was bigger(14-16).

i walk rather than use the car wherever possible.

i make sure i research etc and get as much of my grocery shopping either reduced or on offer.

i no longer but myself books and magazines like i used too(well apart from my sw recipie books and mags of course!!).....i either read online,use the library or car boot sale.

i constantly keep a look out for amazing reductions on things...toys,gifts etc...often i buy out of season for super reduced price....and put away until christmas or birthdays.
 
I've started budgetting and sticking to budget! e.g I get my pocket money out for the week and stick to it rather than just dipping in and out of the cash point and not keeping track of it same for shopping etc
Its not always easy e.g this week have had to spend nearly £30 on meds/prescriptions but am aware that I have whereas before Id have just spent it and then wondered why things didn't add up at the end of the month!
Could do with cutting down a bit more so hope to pick up some good tips off this thread! :)
 
If we are ever having a treat like a meal out or day trip, I always use vouchers. I rarely go out any more, just once a week, and even then I have a £10 cap on the evening.
I'm working lord knows how many hours a week in an attempt to scrape together enough cash to get through each month, and my freezers are full of things with reduced stickers on! And very little food gets wasted. It either gets kept and I have it for lunch the next day (roast chicken, cooked pasta etc), it goes to the dog/cat, or if its fruit and veg, it goes to the tortoise!
Even in winter my heating was at 20C max, and even then it was only on for 4-5 hours a day.
I shop around for EVERYTHING, it drives him indoors mad! Whether its car insurance, broadband, cat food or a box of tissues.
I live in the centre of town, so the car only really gets used on a Friday and a Sunday. I could do with downsizing as its a 1.6, but that's not practical at the minute.
Not been on an abroad holiday for about 5 years, which makes me sad. But we are going to John O'Groats soon for a few days, but quite miffed as it's gonna cost us about the same as an all inclusive 7 day holiday in Turkey! Grrr
Oh, and my new tyres are second hand, saving me about £40.
I sound like a right stingy mare now!
 
My main one that I've found, money saving and great for SW too. Double bonus.

Taking a packed lunch to work. I used to think nothing of going to the supermarket at lunchtime. "sandwich here, can of diet coke there, ooh a magazine, look at this bargain shampoo. I'll just have these crisps and this sushi."

Now I do a lunch shop on a Sunday, get a load of the knockdown meats and stuff, a multipack of Pepsi or Diet Coke, all my salad ingredients. I get it all for what I used to spend in one lunchtime, I then take my lunch to work, eat at my desk or go for a walk so I'm avoiding the impulse buys, saving petrol to and from the supermarket and getting exercise too! What could be better?
 
I put my car on a SORN & now get the bus to the station instead of drive 2 miles. Bus costs £10er a week. Parking at the station alone was £25 a week
I only buy smartprice/badics veg when its available.
Every evening i go to Sainsburys & buy the reduced pre packaged fruit for next mornings brekkie - its fine for the next morning brekkie & costs about 50p instead of £2.00 so is actually cheaper & far easier than making up a fruit Salad from scratch.
Ebay!! If i can buy it cheap on there i will! I need to get a fascinator, some costume jewellry & a pashmina for a wedding - all will come from ebay.
Haircuts - happen when i can bear to part with £30 for them - so about every 3 months instead of every 6 weeks. I am conveniently growing my hair at the moment.
I colour my hair at home instead of going to the salon
I gave up smoking!
Big nights in- Asda do little bottles of voddie for £12 - thats more than enough for a couple of good nights in!
I have a dual rate on my electric, so its cheaper @ night. So i put the washing on at 11pm before i go to bed. Hang up In the morning to dry & its done for when i get home. Only towels go in the dryer
About to invest in a chest freezer (have rearranged my tiny flat so it fits) so i can buy in bulk & batch cook.
 
Yeah, I've definitely been affected the same as you.

I only use my car when absolutely necessary as I cannot believe how much more money I am paying for petrol.

Practically all my clothes come from Primark or eBay

For the most part I buy 'whatever's cheapest' when I'm doing my shopping unlike the brand name stuff I got before.

Bring my own drink when I go out

Reduced Sky subscription

Last but not least, and one I'm not happy about, but I've had to stop my monthly direct debit to the three charities I support. I still put a pound in the collection box every now and then but I just can't afford the direct debits anymore. Charity begins at home, as they say. :(
 
I had until recently, without realising it, stopped using my car other than for work. Fuel costs as they are, even though I have a diesel returning 60+ mpg on a run, meant I stopped travelling so much - especially my birdwatching trips.

The loss of a few dear friends who I shared this hobby with also stopped it all.

Almost £60 to fill up for 600+ miles is not too bad, but certainly travelling solo it is difficult to justify.

I even cut right back on my gadgetry spend too:eek: Kindle aside, I've not bought much "tech" recently.

I'm turning into a hermit! - must get out and about!
 
Most of my clothes come from Asda, but after reading these posts I have been looking on ebay at clothes - great tip thanks.
 
My main bit of money saving is to meal plan. I previously wouldn't have thought twice about going to the supermarket most days and spending £30. Now I have a budget of £50 a week to feed my family of 5. The only thing I go to the supermarket for in between my weekly shop is milk, bread and eggs.
 
We got rid of the second car last year, and last christmas we moved to another country!! Lol!! By that i mean we moved 10 miles down the road from England to Wales!! Seriously, the rent is cheaper, as are most of the other bills and its nearer oh's work making it easier with one car.

We rarely go out for drinks/meals (tho we did last night!!) unless its a special occassion.

I buy most of my clothes from primark now and as a former beauty snob i have down graded all my products. I havent had my hair done in almost a year (but was growing it).

Oh and i both take in 'packed lunches' to work, and i have cut down on stuff like drinks and magazines in work.

We have booked an amazing holiday to vegas this year but this is only due to oh coming into some money and i very much doubt we wouldve bothered/been able to afford it otherwise!!
 
If we are going out for a meal, we always try the meal deal offers like harvester early bird or Brewers Fayre.

I buy all my meat and fruit from Costco. It costs a lot at the till but I make a saving back every week as I don't always have to go food shopping or have a small bill.

I only ever buy clothes when I'm desperate and I'll shop wherever is cheapest. I also try and only buy in the sale. I hate paying full price and then see it cheaper a little later.

If shopping in a supermarket, ill look at the deals or shops own brands first.

I've created a bank account where I save monthly for Xmas and Birthdays. This makes it far easier as both occasions are spread over the year and not to set dates.

My last saving, is I will sacrifice my own needs/wants inorder my children and hubby can have what they need/want. Hubby wants to splash out for my 30th birthday ie expensive presents and a birthday party in Aug but I really can't bare seeing our savings going down. Id rather go without so that the savings are bigger, I always think we might need it incase we need the money later.
 
I show online now to save costs
got a second freezer to stock more food up so i don't need to shop online as frequently
use supermarket brands
look for offers on martin lewis's page
if going out for a meal look for any vouchers
use halan meat instead which is much cheaper then normal type of meat
use ebay for clothes and stuff
look on gumtree for stuff like prams etc that are still in excellent codition
 
Back
Top